Transcript Sub-Sahara Africa: The Land

Sub-Sahara
Africa: The Land
Ch. 20 Sec. 1
A Satellite View
The African Plateau
Highland Features
• Plateaus make a series of steps
make up most of Africa
• Edges of plateaus are
escarpments (cliffs)
–Most are <20 miles from coast (Map
on p. 501)
–Hard to travel inland from coast (bad
for exploration)
Highland Features
• Rivers plunge
down
escarpments
making
cataracts
(waterfalls)
Victoria Falls; b/w Zambia & Zimbabwe
Highland Features
• Africa has highest overall elevation
than any other continent…
• But still few mountains
• Mts. included in Eastern highlands
–Ethiopian Highlands, and volcanoes
Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya
Mt. Kilimanjaro
19,330 ft; in
Tanzania
Highest FreeStanding
Mountain in the
world
Mt. Kenya
17,057 ft; in Kenya
Mt. Kenya
Highland features
• Ruwenzori Mts.
–Divide Uganda & Dem. Rep. of
the Congo
–Covered in snow and clouds
• Drakensberg Range
–South Africa
–Lots of national parks, wetlands
Ruwenzori Mts.; 16,761 ft.
Ice Cap on Mount
Margherita….Africa’s 3rd
tallest mountain
Drakensberg Range; 11,420 ft.
- “Barrier of Spears” in Zulu
Tugela Falls
World’s 2nd
tallest
Waterfall
Great Rift Valley
• Stretches from Syria to
Mozambique
• Formed by shifting tectonic
plates (what kind??) millions of
yrs. ago
–Volcanoes & earthquakes
continue to shape region
TODAY
Seismic Activity in Africa
6,000
Miles
Long!
Red Sea
Great Rift Valley
• Forms two branches
–Eastern branch = volcanic cones
–Western branch= lakes
• Lake Tanganyika (2nd lgst.
freshwater & 2nd deepest in world)
• Lake Malawi (mt. rimmed, >2,300
feet deep)
• Lake Victoria (2nd widest in world,
but shallow; source of White Nile)
Lake Malawi
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Victoria
The
African
Great
Lakes
Water Systems
• Lakes & rivers come from
basins formed millions of yrs.
ago as land uplifted
• Travel from plateaus in center
of cont. to the sea
– Hit escarpments  waterfalls
 near impossible to navigate
inland/ up river
Water Systems
• Lake Chad:
–West-central Africa
• 20 mil. ppl in 4 countries depend on it
–Faces desertification (droughts +
natural climate)
• So shallow, affected greatly by climate
Δs
• 1960s = 26,000 km²; 2000= 1,500 km²
Water Systems
• Lake Volta:
–Man-made (1 of lgst. in world)
–Flooded 700 villages & displaced
70,000 to create
–Used for irrigation, fishing,
hydroelectric power (Akosombo
Dam) for major aluminum plant and
ppl of Ghana
Akosombo Dam (creates Lake Volta)
Water Systems
• Niger River:
–“great river” main artery in W. Africa
– 2,600 miles long (3rd in Africa)
• Forms arc across 5 countries
–Vital for irrigation & transportation
–Splits into Niger Delta in Nigeria (150
X 200 miles)
Water Systems
• Zambezi River:
–Many waterfalls (Victoria Falls- 355
foot drop– 2X size of Niagra)
• Congo River:
–Meets sea at deep, navigable
estuary (only one in Africa)
–Largest network of navigable water
in Africa
–But still has major waterfalls &
rapids
Zambezi River
Victoria Falls
Congo River- 2nd longest
in Africa
Physical Barriers
• Sahara prevents travel from North
Africa to South/Central Africa
• Western deltas were treacherous
to sail inland
• Eastern highlands made travel
inland difficult (cliffs)
–Europeans controlled coastal trade
and Africans controlled inland trade
Natural resources
• Mineral resources are abundant
–Plentiful oil reserves
–Various metals across region
–S. Africa has ½ world’s gold, also
found elsewhere
–Major diamond deposits
Natural Resources
• Water is ABUNDANT
• The problem lies with harnessing
power (physical & financial problems)
– Congo River- More potential
hydroelectric power than U.S.
– Africa hold’s 25% of the world’s potential
for hydroelectricity, but uses less than
10% of it.
• More development is occurring
– Kenya installed 20,000 rural solar power
systems from 86-96
How Much Do You Know about…
AFRICA??
1.
The land area of the U.S. fits into the
land area of Africa a little over three
times
•
2.
FALSE- over four times!
Africa is composed most of desert,
jungle, and some grassland.
•
FALSE- 25% desert, 10% jungle, 55%
grassland
How Much Do You Know about…
AFRICA??
3.
Lions, giraffes, tigers, and many other wild
animals are native to Africa.
•
4.
FALSE- no tigers (only in Asia)
The cultures of Africa are very similar.
•
5.
FALSE- about 3,000 ethnic groups!
Most of Africa experiences four seasons
each year.
•
FALSE- mostly tropical year round
How Much Do You Know about…
AFRICA??
6.
Africa is one of the largest countries in
the world.
•
FALSE- 2nd largest continent
The “Afro” is a hair style from Africa
7.
•
8.
FALSE- originated in U.S.
There are very few tribes left in Africa
today.
•
FALSE- many, many, many tribes today
How Much Do You Know about…
AFRICA??
9.
Outside of South Africa, there are very few
ethnic problems in Africa.
•
FALSE- leaders overthrown in Uganda, Nigeria,
Angola, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia…
10. Africa is a poor land with few resources.
•
FALSE- lots of water, 70% of world’s diamonds
11. The people in Africa live in huts.
•
FALSE- all types of housing from huts to modern
skyscrapers
How Much Do You Know about…
AFRICA??
12. The male lion is the best hunter of all
African cats.
•
FALSE- Female lion called “Queen of Savanna”
13. Africa has no early history or any advanced
civilizations.
•
FALSE- Egyptians; no written record of others
for a while
14. The largest river in the world is the Nile.
•
FALSE- longest river
How Much Do You Know about…
AFRICA??
15. Most Africans speak the same
language.
•
FALSE- speak tribal or European lang.